Amla steps down as Proteas skipper

Hashim Amla has stepped down as South Africa Test skipper following the second Test against England at Newlands, here on Wednesday.

In a statement, Amla said, "This decision has not been an easy one to make but I felt I had to be true to myself. I am comfortable with my decision and I feel I need to work on my own game."

The 32-year-old added that he was deeply honoured when the captaincy position was given to him.

"Throughout my time as captain, I have always had the support of my team-mates and coaching staff. I remain committed to the Proteas across all formats and I will fully support whoever is shown as my successor," he said.

Swash buckling batsman AB de Villiers will be captioning the side in the final two Tests of the series in Johannesburg and Centurion.

Amla's leadership came under sharp criticism since the start of the England series but he returned to form with the bat, scoring 201 in the first innings here at Newlands.

This was Amla's sixth series as South African skipper after he took over the captaincy from Graeme Smith in mid-2014.

After winning his first three series against Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and West Indies, he oversaw a rain-affected drawn series against Bangladesh and the 3-0 defeat in India.

Following Amla's resignation, Cricket South Africa (CSA) chief executive Haroon Lorgat said that the board respects his decision.

He added that the right-handed batsman still has a huge role to play in shaping the success of the team without the need for a leadership title.

He also thanked De Villiers for readily accepting the challenge of rebuilding the Test team.